An annual carnival for the Ak-Chin Indian Community near the city of Maricopa faced disruptions due to teen fighting over the weekend. It’s called Masik Tas and celebrates the 1,100-member tribe’s birthday. The first night of that weekend-long festivity ended an hour early when a disturbance broke out on Friday.
The Ak-Chin Police Department made arrests but didn’t say how many.
Chairman Gabriel Lopez believes this ordeal is isolated, because no other incidents occurred after the five-member council committed to making law enforcement more visible and urged parents to talk with their teens about respect.
“The teens today are different from when I was growing up,” Lopez told KJZZ. “There were minimal skirmishes taken care of right away. Anytime you have thousands of people that come together over a few days, there are going to be some issues.”
Lopez and leadership are already thinking about next year.
“We will continue to consider what are the next steps,” added Lopez. “We’ll go back and reevaluate what worked for us, what we need to do, so that Masik Tas remains fun and safe for everyone that comes and visits.”
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